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OBSERVATIONS concerning 



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by experiments with different kinds of grain, put into a 

 fly-infeded granary. The following pertinent experiment 

 is faid to have been often tried. Put three parcels of In- 

 dian corn into a place with fly-bitten wheat; let one par- 

 <:el be of the firft kind on the cob, and covered with the 

 huilc; a fecond of the hard flinty grains; and the third 

 of the foft tender grains, both the latter ihelled ; the firft 

 and fecond will be injured, whilft the third is worm eaten 

 in the fame manner as wheat. 



The accounts we have of thefe flies are various; but the 



moft probable is, that they are whitifli butterflies or moths, 

 which reft in the day, and are adive in the night. They 

 appear to be of the fame kind with thofe that do the like 

 mifchief in Europe, which a gentleman of Angumois de- 

 fcribes to Mr. Duhamel, in the following manner: 



" The great lofs, fays he, we have fuffered in our corn, 

 and efpeciallyin our wheat, for feventccn or eighteen years 

 part, has put us on making ftrid enquiry into the caufes 

 of a corruption with which our grain is infeded. The 

 common opinion is, that when the corn is in the bloom, 

 that is to fay, in the month of June, fmall white butter- 

 flies lay their eggs in the flowers. When the grain is ripe, 

 the eggs are inclofed in it, and as foon as the corn is laid 

 up to be kept, it is found to ferment. This fermentation 



raifes an heat, which hatches the eggs, whence little worms 



proceed, which are transformed into chryfalides, and thefe 



are afterwards metamorphofed into grey butterflies or 

 moths." 



This pi:ocef8 of the flies in Europe, conforms with the 

 obfervations of manygentlemen in America, fomc of whom 

 aflert, they have fecn tlie perforations in the milky grains 

 in the field, and in the dry grains of v^/heat, into which 

 the flics had put their eggs. This is the lefs to be qucl'- 

 tionedjfince it is the wcU known manner by which plumbs, 



cherries and fruit trees are injured by other infedts. 



It is faid the moft confiderable injury done to the wheat 

 by flies in America, is after it is reaped and laid up, which 



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